Cushioning device for railroad cars



April 23, 1957 M. o. WATSON 2,789,810

CUSHIONING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD CARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001'.. 19, 1954 aumwulrulmmll I@ v :s

r t l INVENTOR, W Mm April 23, 1957 M. o. wATsoN cUsHIoNING DRVICE FoR RAILROAD cARs 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 19, 1954 E WIN VEN TOR.

April 23, 1957 M. o. wATsoN CUSHIONING DEVICE FOR RAILROAD CARS Filed oct. 19, '1954 3 Sheets-Sheet ,5

IN VEN TOR.

A @wa/@Wm Mmw! United States 2,789,810 CUSHIONING DEVICE FOR RAELROAD CARS Millard 0. Watson, Markham, Ill., assgnor to Cardwell Westinghouse Company, a corporation of Delaware The present invention relates to cushioning devices for use in railway trains and, more particularly, to friction spring units for supporting the bolsters o-f railway trucks.

A principal object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction and operation of the cushioning devices disclosed in Sproul Patent No. 2,084,283, issued .lune l5, 1937.

A further object of the invention is to modify the structure of the several elements comprising the cushioning device disclosed in said patent to the end that the retaining bolt may be eliminated.

Yet another object of the inven-tion is the simplication of the construction of devices of this type with the resultant decrease in wear and increase in the durability of the structure.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a bolster supporting unit that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, eilicient in use, and which may be readily and easily installed.

According -to a preferred form of the present invention, the friction post and the semi-cylindrical friction members :of a unit such as that disclosed in the aforementioned patent are provided with laterally extending cooperating lugs or shoulders which are adapted to engage each other under the action of the enclosing helical spring to hold the unit in assembled relation.

It will thus be appreciated that the invention provides substantial advantagesover cushioning devices of prior practices. For instance, the elements of the cushioning device of the present invention are selfelocking, thereby eliminating the need for the .fastening bolt formerly required to hold the device in assembled condition.

Other and furtherv objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved cushioning device;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2--2 of Figure l with parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 3 is a Vertical section `on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a Icross-sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of several of the elements comprising the device;

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the spring seat shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a plan view of apparatus which may be employed in assembling the device; and

Figure 8 is a vertical section, partially in elevation, of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 7.

The improved cushioning device generally indicated by reference numeral 10 in the drawings comprises a thrust postor friction post 12 including a base 14 and a genatent ice erally ilat post 16 on the base. Inclined opposed Wedge surfaces 18 are formed in the intermediate ilat surfaces 20, and a pair of overhanging shoulders or lugs 22 project outwardly from each of the intermediate surfaces 20. The shoulders or lugs 22 projecting from each surface 2t) are positioned at each side tof the respective surfaces, that is, at the upper corners of the post 16, and it will be noted that the shoulders of the respective surfaces Zt) are oppositely directed. The upper end of the post 12 may be formed with laterally extending ilanges 16a providing a relatively ilat bearing surface 16b at the top of the post. The relatively narrow sides Ior edges 17 of post 12 are rounded or curved as shown in Figure 4 to conform to the inner periphery of the surrounding spring hereinafter described.

Associated with the friction post 12 are a pai-r of friction shoes 24, each having an inner wedge surface 26 adapted for frictional contact with the corresponding wedge face or surface 18 on the post, an outwardly directed bottom flange 28, and an outer tapered circular surface or wall 30.

On Ithe outer side of the friction shoes 24 are a pair of friction members 32 in frictional contact with the outer circular walls 3l) of the friction shoes. Each friction member 32 is formed with an outwardly :directed top flange 36 at the upper end thereof, `an inner circular surface or wall 37, partially tapered and merging into a groove 37a adjacent the upper end thereof, and a pair of laterally directed lugs 38 at the lower end thereof adapted to cooperate and engage with the :overhanging shoulders 22 on the friction post 12.

A helical spring generally indicated at 40 surrounds the friction members and friction shoes and extends between the outwardly directed bottom flanges 28 on the shoes and the outwardly directed top flanges 36 on the friction members, there being a spring seat 42 between the lower end of the spring 40 and the flanges on the friction shoes. As shown more particularly in Figures 2 and 6, the spring scat is recessed to provide a generally curved surface 44 at either side thereof having a configuration such that the upper surfaces of the outwardlyl extending flanges 28 are adapted to be received in the recesses. On either side of the curved surfaces abutments 46 are formed to restrict the movements of the friction sho-es with respect to the ring. Where the ring is cast, it may also be recessed at 4S so that the thickness of metal at this point will be substantially the same as in the other portions of the ring to avoid casting operational diiliculties.

In operation under load or compression, the friction surfaces 18 acting on the friction faces 26 move the friction shoes 24 outwardly into engagement with the friction members 32, and they in turn move outwardly into engagement with the inner surface of the spring 40.

The outer surfaces 30 of the friction shoes 24 and the inner surfaces 37 of the friction members are inclined or tapered to increase the resistance to compression as the parts move toward closed position. Thus, the resistance of the spring is augmented by the friction between the friction shoes and the friction members, and between the friction members and the spring. By appropriate choice of slopes and surfaces, the cushioning device can be given any desired increase or variance in resistance.

The lower surfaces 32a of the dished-out or recessed portions of the friction members are adapted to contact and bear against the upper surface 16b of the top of the post under extreme load conditions, the shoes 24 con:

areaal() Ventionally being n'otched'asv at i9 to provide clearance for flangesioa and avoid interference with thel respective friction members 32 when the inner ends of the shoes enter grooves 37a.

While the friction members 32 are described as being employed at the top of the device, and the post l2 is described as being at the bottom, this is solely for convenience of description since the device may be employed in inverted form. Preferably, though not neces# sarily, the device has the overall dimensions of a conventional helical bolster supporting spring for railway cars and one or more-of these devices or units may be substituted for a corresponding number of helical springs in thel conventional bolster supporting springA assembly.

in assembling the parts shown in Figure-5 together with the spring all, the friction shoes are set loosely on the friction post l2. and the .spring seat d2. is dropped. over them, and is positioned so that thelianges Z of the shoes are received adjacent the curved surfaces 44 of the ring. The spring tu is then telescoped over the friction shoes and compressed until the ends of the shoes protrude outwardly of the sprino. The friction members 32 may then be inserted one at a time to bring the lugs 32: underneath the shoulders 22, and upon release of the spring the lugs 33 engage the respective shoulders 22, to provide interengaging means between the friction post and the friction members whereby the device is maintained in assembled relation. The base 14 may be slotted or notched as at l5 and the edges of flanges 36 may be cut back as at 47 so that a compressive force may be applied directly to both ends of the spring, or to the one end of the spring with the other end thereof bearing against a fixed surface whereby the spring lll may be compressed by a suitable device to allow assembly of the invention without oecasioning interference with the base ld or the flanges 36. The notches i9 of shoes 2li avoid interference of the inner ends of the shoes .l-t' with any compressing structures as said ends are forced outwardly upon compression of spring 40.

While numerous modes of compressing spring e9 may be utilized, prefer to employ apparatus of the type described in the copending application Serial Number 463,163, filed October 19, 1954, and assigned to the assignee of the present application. A brief description of said apparatus follows for the purpose of providing a more complete understanding of the present invention, though said apparatus forms no part of this invention.

The said apparatus is illustrated diagrammatically in Figures 7 and 3 and includes a rigid elongate yoke 50 rotatably connec ed at one end thereof to a fixed bracket 52 through an antifriction thrust bearing S4 and rotatably supported at the other end thereof on a thrust rod 56 supported by bearing block 5ft. The thrust rod 56 extends to a suitable source of powersuch as cylinder 6l). "the yoke 5d includes a curved carrier plate 62 and a pair of shoulders or abutments ed separated by a space-or slot Nhe thrust rod includes an antifriction thrust bearing .Yll and a twopronged head 69 which acts to push the spring ft@ against the shoulders 6&3 to compress it.

' described in said application, the friction post 12,

sc he friction post adjacent the two-pronged bea 69. "rae cylinder is actuated to urge the prongs of' the head tir-ouch slots 45 formed in the base of the post Tilt he ring seat whereupon the base oi' the friction post engages the face of thethrust rod heath the outwardly projecting portion of reduced end 72 of there-d registering inthe recess ofthe post l2 shown in .Figures 2 and 3. The thrust Arod head is forced fr ".rd the shoulders or abutments 6d until the spring ttl gos them; Vand then forced against the springuntil the spring is pressed solid. At this point the upper ends ot the friction shoes 2d will be projectingslightlyout- Wardlyof the spring, asfindicated at 74 in Figure 8. The

notches 49 in friction shoes avoid interference of any portion of` the slices 24 with'the shoulders or abutments 64. One of the friction members 32 is positioned as shown in Figure 8, and since the flange 36 of the friction members is cut back at 47 on either side thereof, the semi-cylindrical body of the friction member will drop within the slot or space 66. The friction member is then tted in place, with the lugs 3b thereof disposed behind the shoulders 22 on the adjacent side of the friction post. The yoke may then be rotated 180 degrees to position the device for insertion of the second friction member in the same manner, after which the yoke is returned to its original positiony and the cylinder `pressure relieved whereupon the device assumes the assembled positionillustrated in Figure l.

he foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate my invention, and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited since those skilled in the art who have my disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

l claim:

l. ln a cushioning device for railroad cars including a friction post having a base and a generally at post on the base having opposed wedge surfaces, friction shoesI having inner wedge surfaces engaging the opposed wedge surfaces of the post and outwardly directed bottom ilanges,l

friction members engagingthe outer sidesot the friction shoes and having outwardly directed top flanges, and a helical spring around. the friction members and friction shoes and between the respective flanges thereof, the irnprovernent wherein the post and the friction members are provided with laterally directed elements urged into Contact by said spring whereby separation of the friction post and the friction members is prevented.

2. ln a cushioning device for railroad cars including a friction post having a base and a generally flat post on the base having opposed wedge surfaces, friction shoes having inner wedge surfaces engaging the opposed wedge surfaces of the post and outwardly directed bottom flanges, friction members engaging the outer sides of the friction shoes and having outwardly directed top flanges, and a helical spring around the friction members and friction shoes and between the respective flanges thereof, the improvement wherein the post is provided with oppositely directed overhanging shoulders at each side'thereof and the friction members are provided with-laterally directed lugs adapted to engage under said shoulders.

3. In a cushioning device for railroad cars including a friction post having a base and a generallyat poston the base having curved edges and opposed Wedge surfaces on the flat sides thereof, frictionv shoes having inner-.wedge surfaces engaging the opposedl wedge surfacesof the post and outwardly directed bottom flanges, friction membersv engaging the outer sides of the friction shoes and havingJ outwardly directed top flanges, and a helical spring around the friction members and friction shoes and between the respective flanges thereof,'the improvementwherein the post is provided with an overhanging shoulder at each side thereof and wherein the friction members are each provided with a laterally directed lug adapted to engage under the respective adjacent shoulders of the post.-

4. In a cushioning device for railroad cars including a friction post having opposed wedge surfaces, friction shoes having outwardly extending bottom flanges and inner.

wedge surfaces engaging the opposed wedge surfaces of the post, friction members telescopically engaging the. outer sides of the friction shoes and having outwardly extending top flanges, anda helical spring telescoped over the friction members and shoes "and bearingaganst-the aforementioned top and bottom flanges to'urge thefriction members and friction shoeszaxially apart, the improvement wherein the post is providedwith laterallyxextending downwardly facing shoulders on opposite sides thereof,`

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,097,975 Hassler May 26, 1914 6 Sproul June 30, 1931 Dentler May l, 1934 Sproul June 15, 1937 Sproul Aug. 30, 1938 Sproul Mar. 18, 1941 Dath June 25, 1946 Bachman Aug. 17, 1948 Lehman Oct. l0, 1950 

